Saturday, July 5th, 2008

Student stars in Sunsilk commercial

Sybil Niccum enters competition to be named “Life Can’t Wait” icon

KU graduate student Sybil Niccum will star in a Sunsilk commercial to be aired during the CW’s “Gossip Girl” tonight.

By Mary Sorrick (Contact)

Monday, April 28th, 2008

Sybil Niccum’s adventurous personality and unruly blond hair landed her a semifinalist’s spot in Sunsilk’s “Life Can’t Wait” competition.

Sunsilk, a company that produces hair care products, designed the campaign to inspire girls around the world to live life to the fullest. Niccum, an Olathe graduate student, was one of 25 women chosen from the U.S. and Canada and flown to New York City to shoot an advertisement that will air tonight during an episode of “Gossip Girl" on the CW.

While in New York, the finalists also recorded a personal statement for the “Life Can’t Wait” Web site.

The contestant whose video receives the most votes online will be named a Sunsilk icon and will star in an advertising campaign to air nationally this summer. Current Sunsilk icons include Madonna, Shakira and Marilyn Monroe.

Niccum said she was selected as a semifinalist based on an essay in which she described her experiences backpacking through Europe, running a half marathon, playing the ukulele and studying to be an ESL teacher.

She said the qualities Sunsilk chose her for were all changes she had made after waking up one morning and realizing everything in her life seemed unhealthy.

“I was stressed out, worn down and living mundanely,” she said. “I felt like, ‘Gosh, I must be missing something because life is so short, and I’m not taking advantage of all the things it has to offer.’”

Niccum’s hair also made an impression on the contest’s judges.

“My hair is what everybody recognizes me by,” she said. “It’s curly and unruly, and I’ve had lots of ups and downs with it. But I’ve accepted my curliness.”

Sylvia Niccum, Olathe senior and Sybil’s sister, traveled to New York City with her sister. She said a group of tourists on the street assumed the camera crew was filming for “America’s Next Top Model” while they were shooting for the campaign in Times Square.

“It was like a taste of fame,” she said. “It was fun to see my sister in that atmosphere.”

Sylvia said she hoped students from the University would support Sybil by voting for her on the “Life Can’t Wait” Web site.

“If people go online and listen to it, even people who don’t know her can be touched by it,” she said. “She has a really positive outlook and many people can be encouraged by that.”

Though Sybil said she didn’t know exactly what would be in store if she won the competition, she said she could potentially get a contract to travel around the world for a year as a campaign spokeswoman.

Sylvia also said any potential compensation for being named a Sunsilk icon would go toward helping both her sisters pay for college.

— Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird

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